The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-02-18
PENSION VETO
President Cleveland Returns to the House
WithoLs His Approval the Dependent
Pension BILL
Ne Treats Fxhaustively the Whole Question Of
Pensions and Strongly FOrtI1es the
Position Taken.
Returned DisapproveG.

herewith return without my approval House
nil Nc. 10, 45d, entitled AN act for the relief
nf dependent parents and hOnorably discharged
IoIdiers and sailors who are now disabled and
IeDrndcnt upon their own labor for support"
This is the first general bill that has been sane
toned by congress since the close of the late
rivlI war permitting q pension TO the soldiers
md sailors who served in that war upon the
ground of service and present disability alone,
and in the entire absence of any injuries re-
reiyed by casualties or incidents Of such service.
While by almost constant legislation since the
close of the war there has been compensation
awarded for every possible injury received as a
result Of military service in the Union army.
and while a great number OF laws passed
for that purpose have been admins
tered with great liberaltty. and have been
supplCmcnted by numerous private acts to reach
sprcial cases, there has not, until now, been an
avowcd departure from the principle thus far
adhered to respecting Union soldiers, that the
bounty Of the government in the way Of pen
sions is generously bestowed when granted TO
those who, in the military service and the line
of military duty, have to a greater or less eX-
tent. been disabled. But 1t is a mistake to sup
pose that service pensions such as are permitted
by the second section Of the bill under con-
alteration are new to our legislation. In 1918,
thirty-iVe years after the close Of the ReYOIu-
tion4ry war, there were granted to soldiers en-
gagged in that struggle, conditional upon service
until the end OF the war, or for a term not
less than nine months, and requiring every ben
efciary under the act to be one who is, or there
after Dy reason of his reduced circumstances in
life shall be, in need OF assistance from his coun-
try for support" Another law of like character
was passed in 1923, requiring service until the
close of the revolutionary war: and still another
passed in 1884, providing for those persons not
Included in the previous statute, but who served
two years at some time during the war, and Civ
Ing a prOpOrtionate sum to those who had served
not less than six months. A service pension
law was passed for the benefit Of
THE SOLDIERS OF l9l2
In the year 1S7l-htty-six years after the close
Of that ~war-which required only sixty days
service; and another was passed in ~lS7S-sixty-
three VRarS after the WaT-Tp0uiTinR only fOur-
teen days service. The service pension bill passed
~ this session of congress, thirty-nine years
kfter the close Of the Mexican war, for the bene-
ht of the soldiers Of that war, REQUIRES either
some degree of disability or dependency, or that
the claimant under its provisions should be
sixty-twO years Of age; and in either case that
be should have served sixty days or been
actually engaged in a battle. It will be seen
that the bill Of 1918 and the Mexican pension
bill being thus passed nearer the close of
the wars in which its heneficisrjes
we're engaged than the others, one thirty-five
years and the other thirty nine years after the
termination of such wars, embraced persons
who were advanced in age, assumed to be COM
psratively few ia number, and whose ctrcum-
stances, dependence and disabilities were
clearly defined and could be quite easily fixed.
The other laws referred to appear to have been
passed at a time 80 remote from the military
service of the persons which they embraced that
their extreme age alone was deemed 10
s supply need fhe nRm6er OF Of e SSERsHaSRGs
made during the revolutionary o war is
stated to have been 800, 791, and In the war Of
1912, 576,622; but it is estimated that, on &C
count OF repeated establishments, the number Of
individuals engaged in those wars did not eX-
iced one-half of the number represented by
these figures. In the war with Mexico the num-
Der OF eallsUments Is reported to be liz, 230,
which represents a greater proportion OF indt-
Iiduals engaged than the reported enlistments
In the two previous wars. The number Of PEN
IiOns granted under all the laws to soldiers Of
The Revolution is given at $1,000; to soldiers of
the war OF 1912 and their widows, 0,175: and
The soldiers Of the Mexican war and their Wild
bws, up to June 80, 1885, 1919. This number
N pensions was granted to the soldiers OF a war
Involving much hardship, for disabilities in
surred as a result Of such service; and 1t was not
hntil within the last m"Nth that the few re-
naming survivors were awarded a service pen
hon.
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION
terminated nearly Twenty-Five years ago. The
humber of men furnished for its prosecution
was said to be z, 772,4 08. No corresponding
humber Of statutes has ever been passed to
cover every kind of injury or disability incurred
In the military service OF any war. Under these
statutes SCI, 576 pensions have been granted
from the year 1861 to June 80, 1886, and more
than $500 pensioners have been added TO the
rolls by private acts passed 70 meet cases, many
eral laws did not cover. On July l, 1886, $685.
763 pensioners Of all classes were upon the PEN
non rolls, OF whom 305, sos were survivors OF
The war Of the Rebellion and their widows and
dependsnts. For the year ending june 80,
1887, S75r 0o0, 900 have been appropriated for
th5 payment Of pensions, and the amount ex-
1855. is sos Sc ,ss4. sI1.is. While sp snnGSliy pay :.
Ing out so vast . sum for pensions
already granted it is now proposed
Ice pension to the soldiers Of all wars in which
the United States has been engaged, including,
OF course, the war of the Rebellion. and to pay
those entitled TO the benefits OF the act the sum
OF $12 per month. So far as IL relates to the
soldiers Of the late civil war, the bounty 1t
Affords them is given thirteen years earlier than
II has been furnished TO- the soldiers OF any
other war, and before a large majority Of It's
beneficiaries have advanced In age beyond the
strength and vigor OF the prime Of life. IL ex-
acts only . military or naval service OF three
months, without any requirement OF actual
engagement with an eEemy In battle, and with
out q subsection to any of the actual dangers Of
war. The pension 1t awards is allowed to en-
listed men who have not suffered the least In
Jury, disability, loss or DAMAGE Of any kind. In
CURED In or In any degree referable to their mil
itary service, including those who
NEVER REACHED H FRONT AT ALL
and those discharged from rendezvous st the
close OF the war. II discharged three months
after enlistment. Under the last call OF the
president for troops. In December. 1864, 1903
men were furnished who were thus discharged.
The section allowing this peusion does. how
ever, require, beside q service OF three months
and an honorable discharge, that those seeking
tne benefit OF the act shall be such as are now
or may hereafter be suffering from mental or
phyeical disability not the result OF thasr own
vicious habits or gross careleesness, which inca
FACILITATES them for the perfot nance q labor In
such a degree as to rende them unable to cam
q support and who are dependent upon their
daily labor for support" 1t provides further
that such persons shall, upon making proof Of
the fact, be placed on the list OF invalid PEN
stoners of the United States and be entitled to
receive for such total inability to secure their
subsistence by daily labor %12 per month;
and such pension shall from
the date OF the filing OF the application in the
pension office upon proof that the disability chen
existed and continued during the existence OF
the same In the degree herein provided; that
persons who are not receiving their pensions un-
der existing laws, or whose claims are pending
In the pension office, may by application 10 the
commissioner Of pensions, In such form as ne
may prescribe, bof beneGciaries under this act.